[3][4] In the late 1970s,[5] Cloud formed The Psychotic Night Auditors, a punk rock band so loud and obnoxious that they "cleared the room" at Springwater, prompting the club owner to ban the group "for life.
"[3] Eventually Cloud was invited back to Springwater, where he would spend the next several years developing his performance style (including his signature "stage humping"[6] and "phantom kung fu"[4] antics) and a repertoire of original compositions, rock and pop covers, and occasional karaoke.
[1][8] The Nashville Scene described Cloud's music as a "perverse cross between Neil Diamond and Tom Waits,"[9] that "translates a love of 60s and 70s rock and soul through the lens of punk and experimentation.
[11] Over the years the roster fluctuated and included Brian Boling, Paul Booker, Matt Button (Lone Official), Tony Crow (Lambchop, Silver Jews), Dave Friedman, Ben Martin (Lone Official, Clem Snide), Laurel Parton (Trauma Team), Steve Poulton, and Matt Swanson (Clockhammer, My Dad Is Dead, Lambchop).
[1] Their first tour, in the spring of 2006, included shows at London's Scala (supporting the Silver Jews) and Norway's Bergenfest, where Cloud also served as artist in residence.
[1] Nina Persson of the Cardigans contributed vocals to "Land of a Thousand Dances" on Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power's fourth album Pleasure Before Business (2008).
[1] In March 2008, after his own performance at Springwater in Nashville, Steve Mackay (saxophonist for The Stooges) joined Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power for two songs during their late-night, garage rock set.
[1] Dave Cloud appeared in two Harmony Korine films: Gummo (1997, uncredited) and Trash Humpers (2009); the premiere episode of the TV comedy show Travel Sick (2001); and the 2005 music video for Bobby Bare's song "Are You Sincere.